Dell has announced at CES 2025 that it is bidding farewell to some of its most iconic laptop and desktop names. The XPS, Inspiron, Latitude, Precision, and OptiPlex lines are being phased out in favor of a more streamlined naming convention that borrows heavily from both Apple‘s playbook and the automotive industry’s lexicon. Say hello to three new categories: Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max, each further divided into Base, Plus, and Premium sub-tiers.

This rebranding effort might sound like a move towards simplification, but it could just as easily plunge consumers into a morass of confusion. Imagine shopping for a new laptop and instead of choosing between XPS or Latitude, you’re now deciding between a “Dell Pro 13 Premium” or a “Dell 14 Plus.” These names, while catchy, might strip away the familiarity and brand equity Dell has built over decades.

The XPS line, synonymous with premium performance and sleek design in the laptop world, is no more. The new “Dell Premium” line will presumably carry the torch, but without the established reputation that XPS had cultivated. This transition might not be as seamless as Dell hopes, especially for consumers who have grown accustomed to associating XPS with high-end, quality computing devices.

Dell’s strategy seems to echo Apple’s recent branding decisions where everything is either “Pro,” “Plus,” or “Max.” However, Dell’s approach adds another layer with its “Base, Plus, Premium” sub-tiers, which could either clarify or further muddle consumer choices. The introduction of products like the “Dell Plus 32-inch 4K QD-OLED monitor” or the “Dell Pro Premium laptops” illustrates this new direction.

However, this rebranding isn’t happening overnight. Current models under the old branding will remain on sale until stocks deplete. This means for a time, we’ll see a confusing overlap where, for instance, an XPS 13 could sit on shelves next to its anticipated replacement, the Dell 13 Premium. This could lead to a confusing shopping experience, especially for those less tech-savvy or for businesses managing fleets of devices across different generations of Dell’s product lines.

Frank Cestone, from Dell’s public relations team for consumer and gaming, has acknowledged the complexity of this transition. “It will be a journey,” Cestone stated, emphasizing that Dell is committed to easing customers into this new naming scheme. Yet, the challenge lies in navigating this transition without alienating a customer base that has long associated certain product names with specific levels of performance and design.

The move also poses questions about brand identity. Dell, named after its founder Michael Dell, is now stripping back to a more generic nomenclature. In an age where brand differentiation is crucial, this could be seen as a step towards losing some of Dell’s unique identity in a sea of similar-sounding tech products.

This rebranding comes at a time when the tech industry is increasingly emphasizing AI capabilities in PCs, with Dell themselves pushing their new products as “AI PCs.” The integration of such a fundamental shift in naming strategy with the push towards AI technology could either be a masterstroke in simplifying consumer choice or a recipe for bewilderment.